Pleasanton fulfills settlement agreement over its affordable housing

PLEASANTON -- Pleasanton adopted an amended housing element and a climate action plan on Monday, completing the final stages of a settlement with an urban justice group that sued the city over its defunct voter-approved housing cap.

During the special meeting, the city council voted 5-0 for an amended housing element that includes nine rezoned sites throughout the city to accommodate 2,326 housing units, many of which will be affordable housing units.

Urban Habitat, an Oakland-based urban justice group, filed suit against the city in 2006, claiming that the city's voter-approved limit of 29,000 housing units prevented Pleasanton from building its share of affordable housing units, as set by the state.

The suit sparked a four-year court battle that ended in Urban Habitat's favor and an August 2010 settlement that required the city to drop its housing cap and to plan for the additional housing units.

The climate action plan is aimed at reducing the city's green house gas emissions and create a more sustainable community.